PRRD declines to accept honorary doctorate degree offered by the University of the Philippines

BOHOL, Philippines — During Wednesday’s security briefing for the ASEAN Summit in Tagbilaran, Bohol, President Rodrigo Duterte stressed that even when he was still mayor of Davao City, it has become a matter of personal and official policy for him not to accept awards.

“With due respect to the University of the Philippines, I do not accept even when I was mayor, di tayo tumatanggap [ I never accepted] as a matter of personal and official policy, I do not accept awards. To use the word reject is not good, I simply decline,” he said.

(Because of the attacks that the Duterte regime in the rights of the Filipino people, we believe that there is no honor in those actions of this regime in its first months in office.)

Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Sen. Richard Gordon said the granting of honorary degree to the President should not be an issue.

Sen. Gordon said, “Sa akin hayaan mo ginawa ng Board of Regents. They are responsible people, I will not let it pass if napatunayan na may ginawang kalokohan si Pres. Duterte, bawiin nila. I will not make any comment.”

(In my opinion let the board of regent do their stuff. They are responsible people, I will not let it pass if Pres. Duterte has really done something bad. Let them forfeit the award and I will not make any comment.)